Spooge, Sparkle, and Side Hustles: The Mayor of Reno’s Glossy New Gig …

Meet the ‘Founders’ of SPOOGE.

July 15, 2025 will go down in history—not for anything civic, legislative, or remotely government-related—but because SPOOGE officially launched its line of ultra-premium, sparkle-infused skincare products, including one we didn’t know we needed: glossy sunscreen for your butt cheeks.

Yes, you read that correctly.

And leading the glittery charge is none other than the Mayor of Reno herself—who, is also one of SPOOGE’s co-founders.

In a city that can’t seem to fix potholes or cool down a heated housing market, the mayor has decided to tackle a more pressing crisis: the urgent need for sparkly sun protection in delicate places. According to SPOOGE’s marketing, their products are “luxuriously glossy,” “eminently Instagrammable,” and—if the mayor has her way—the next must-have item for citizens worried about sun-damaged derrière.

But this raises some questions… like what in the actual SPF is going on here?

The mayor now lists “entrepreneur” as her occupation on public disclosures—right next to “public servant.” In case anyone is confused, she includes a disclaimer that she represents SPOOGE “in her personal capacity, not as Mayor of Reno.”

Ah yes, the classic I’m only doing this in my personal capacity while being the most public person in town defense.

What does that even mean? That she only applies the shimmer off-duty? That she leaves her mayoral pin at home when hawking $68 glitter balm on Instagram Live? Does City Hall have a ring light now?

Let’s be clear: public officials are allowed to have jobs outside their elected roles. But when one of those jobs involves slapping your name and face on a luxury skincare brand called SPOOGE, and the other involves leading a city, the optics get murky faster than an expired jar of bronzer.

Is the mayor using her public profile to gain visibility for her private company? Absolutely. Has she claimed otherwise? Kind of. Is anyone buying that it's just a coincidence that every mention of SPOOGE also includes a note about who the mayor is? Please.

There’s a fine line between hustle and self-promotion under the cloak of civic service. And this feels like a crossover episode nobody asked for: The Real Entrepreneurs of City Government.

We wish the mayor well on her shimmering journey to skincare stardom. But we also respectfully suggest that maybe—just maybe—city government shouldn’t be a launchpad for side gigs. When residents need affordable housing, functioning infrastructure, and responsive leadership, what they’re getting instead is a mayor more focused on branding butts than balancing budgets.

If the Mayor wants to run a business, that’s fine. But run for that job. Don’t try to do both and pretend the worlds don’t overlap while filming a TikTok in front of City Hall.

Until then, we’ll be over here—just trying to make sure our streets are paved and our cheeks (all of them) are safe. Preferably without glitter.